Archive for the 'Mystery' Category

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio’s longest running shows, airing October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955, continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, who based it upon Robert W.Chambers‘ 1906 novel The Tracer of Lost Persons. The sponsors included Whitehall Pharmacal, makers of Anacin,Kolynos Toothpaste, BiSoDol antacid mints, Hill’s cold tablets and Heet liniment), Dentyne, Aerowax, RCA Victor and Chesterfield cigarettes. The 15-minute serial initially aired on the NBC Bluenetwork until 1947, when it switched to CBS and became a weekly half-hour show. Bennett Kilpack (above) was the longest-running Mr. Keen.

From left: Santos Ortega as Inspector Queen (father of Ellery), Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen and Marian Shockley as Ellery’s assistant, Nikki, from the radio program The Adventures of Ellery Queen.

During the first season of The Adventures of Ellery Queen, Radio Guide magazine called it "a CBS drama that will keep you on the edge of your chair." It added "You will find Ellery Queen both brave and brilliant and you will find yourself participating joyously in the ageless thrill of the manhunt." Several repeats of the program appeared on different networks, with the first one broadcast onCBS June 18, 1939, and the last on ABC May 27, 1948.

The format of CBS Radio Mystery Theater was similar to that of classic old time radio shows like Suspense, and The Whistler, in that the episodes were introduced by a host (E. G. Marshall) who provided brief commentary during the program which aired from January 6, 1974 till the final episode December 31, 1982.